Just in time for Halloween: Has Big Foot Been Spotted in Texas?

Posted on 10/28/2017 by mapoll

A retired veteran in south central Texas says he saw an unidentified bipedal creature.

The man, whose name wasn’t released by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, (BFRO) said he was driving Highway 60 toward Burleson County on the night of September 2 when he noticed a “large dark object” on the side of the road, about 300 yards after crossing the Brazos River.

“It was 2:45 a.m., I was traveling at 80 mph, so I passed it fast, but it rose up to a standing position and took a leap into the darkness,” he said about encounter. ” I have never seen anything like it. I have fished everywhere, from Montana to Argentina.”

BFRO investigator Eljay Willow reportedly conducted a telephone interview with the eyewitness and was able to determine more details about the purported encounter.

“The river is quite flooded from Hurricane Harvey, pushing some wildlife north,” explains Willow. “At first he thought it was a large hog, but it immediately stood up and got out of sight.”

According to Willow, the eyewitness described the animal as a “dark tall and thick bipedal”.

“He says it was about 8 feet tall,” says Willow, adding that the Texas man was “confident in his measurement”. “He says it was slightly taller than a street sign.”

Willow, an ex-military officer “dedicated to conducting Bigfoot investigations based on evidence”, says the man claimed to be a skeptic until his alleged sighting.

But this isn’t the only recent sighting.

Last June, a man from eastern Texas, says he was fishing on the Trinity river when he recorded the images of what he called a Sasquatch.

In 2015, a Texas man said he had an encounter with Bigfoot and that the monkey-like being had even “smiled” at him.

The same year, a preacher in Wise County, Texas claimed a Bigfoot was living in the area.

So, maybe this Halloween, you’d better check and make sure that Bigfoot you see is only a costume……

Sources: beyondrealitynews.com

                Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

Until Next Time,

 


 

 

Posted in Creepy Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal, Paranormal Thrillers | 2 Comments

Is The Grove the Most Haunted Site in Texas?

Posted on 10/26/2017 by mapoll

The GroveThe Grove (also known as the Stilley-Young House), is an 1861 historic home in Jefferson, Texas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. In addition, The Grove house has been called the most haunted place in Texas.

The Grove’s history dates back to the 19th century, when the property was purchased and the house that became known as “The Grove” was built. It has been featured in the television series, "If Walls Could Talk" on the cable channel HGTV. It was selected “as one of the top twelve most haunted houses in America” by “This Old House,” and was also named as one of the "eight scariest places in Texas" by "Texas Monthly" magazine. These are just a few documentations about The Grove.

The Grove has a vibrant history of unexplained happenings: voices, sounds of footsteps, moving objects, and other ghostly phenomenon. These stories indicate that The Grove is the most haunted building in Jefferson, and perhaps the most haunted site in Texas. According to Patrick J. Hopkins, a previous owner who turned The Grove into a restaurant, many mysterious events occurred while he was at the house. These events include mirrors falling off walls, loud wails heard coming from the upstairs, unexplained moisture in spots around the house, and the constant feeling of being watched. “Legend has it that the property lies in an area where several murders occurred, and several unmarked graves reportedly lie under or near the house”. Hopkins’s niece and her friends recall seeing a black man lying in the street, and as they went to see if he needed help, the man supposedly disappeared. This black man could have been a man rumored to have been hanged on the back porch of the house.

A ghostly woman has also been reported many times being around The Grove. She was spotted in the house by Hopkins right before he was opening up the restaurant. The woman has also been reported by a neighbor and her sister, who saw a “glowing white figure” on the porch. This woman has been said to be the original owner, Minerva Fox Stilley. She has often been seen walking beside the house, and then stepping up through a wall of the house. On the inside, she emerges from the wall and then walks across the width of the house. This strange path makes more sense when one considers that the wall that she steps up through was once the back porch to the house before an 1870 addition was made. Instead of stepping up through a wall, she instead is probably stepping up onto the back porch, coming through a door that was at the back of the house, and walking across to what would have been the children's bedroom.

The most haunted location in Texas? Who knows. What is sure? The Grove is rich in history (see Wikipedia.org) and has been a place of supernatural experiences for many people over the years. I get goosebumps just thinking about visiting it. You?

Source: Wikipedia

 

Posted in Creepy Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal, Paranormal Thrillers, Supernatural Thrillers | Leave a comment

Inspire Publishing LLC: Book Editing Which Stands Above the Rest

Posted on 07/05/2017 by mapoll

 

valentines-day-bookI have been blessed to have editors of the Iconoclast series that are talented, knowledgeable and honest. Most recently, I have been blessed by a talented editor who is a content editor, copy editor, and line editor combined. The company is Inspire Publishing. If you have a manuscript and need an editor (and, to be honest, we all need an editor) This company has, by far, the best editor I have met. Here is the website: http://inspirepublishing.guru/ If you need further help contacting them, please send me a request in the comments and I will get you an answer.

Until recently, I did not know there are three types of editors and they all serve an important purpose. The following definitions from Novel Publicity http://www.novelpublicity.com/2011/11/finally-an-answer-heres-the-difference-between-line-copy-and-content-editing/ give a clear, concise idea of what each editor does.

The Copy Editor:

In journalism, a copy editor is essentially a fact checker and someone who protects the publication from libel. For our purposes a Copy Editor is more like a professional proof-reader. Someone who performs this task usually does minimal rewriting for the sake of efficiency of prose as opposed to stylistic choices. They check the manuscript for clarity and flow. In my experiences most copy editors will also do line editing as the two are tied closely together and work well as a two part process.

The Line Editor

This is your final defense, the last step, the difference between being a writer with a good idea and a professional author. The line editor generally isn’t there to discuss story arc or make sure you understand how to use a dialogue tag. Instead, they are there to make sure you are putting out the best quality product possible. Line editors will go over each sentence to make sure it is ready for publication. They check for grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency and word usage (Is he your Principle or your PrinciPAL?) and can often assist with rewriting/rewording sections that need help.

The Content Editor

This is the professional eye which looks over your manuscript with a fine tooth comb. They will catch things like inconsistent character behavior/speech, style issues, thematic variances and readability. A content editor will be able to help you adjust your language by audience (lit fic vs. YA – there is a difference!), make sure everything makes sense, has believable dialogue and a plausible plotline. Many people skip this step, thinking their editor who fixes commas will do this as well. If you are lucky, they will, although the cost for editors who are that skilled is quite high and often times, even if the individual is capable, their attention to other issues in your manuscript might mean they miss something that could make the difference between an ok story and an epic novel.

Until Next Time,

Posted in Author tips, Supernatural Thrillers, Writing Tips | Leave a comment

Is Fort Washita in Durant, Oklahoma Haunted? Rumors Say Yes.

Posted on 06/26/2017 by mapoll

Thanks to Steven Levi, Master of the Impossible Crime, for contributing the following story:

fort-washitaConstructed in the 1841 to keep the peace between new settlers and Indians who’d been living in the area for hundreds of years, Fort Washita was eventually taken over by the Confederates during the Civil War, at which time it was used as hospital and supply post. After the war, the haunting began in earnest. According to reports, the two families who attempted to settle into Fort Washita, which was renovated after the Civil War left it burned in the late 1800s were driven out by strange occurrences. Nobody else even tried after that.

But it is the legend of Aunt Jane, who was apparently decapitated for the $20 in gold she was rumored to always keep on her, that defines the haunting at Fort Washita. Although several stories exist to explain reports of witnesses seeing a beheaded woman’s ghost lurking about the old fort, Aunt Jane – rumored to be either an officer’s wife or freed black woman – is the star in each tale.

Until Next Time,

 

 

Posted in Christian Fiction, Creepy Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal, Paranormal Thrillers, Supernatural Thrillers | Leave a comment

Gorgon: An Alaska Iconoclast Thriller, Book 3 Five out of Five Star Review by Peter Younghusband (The Guru)

Posted on 05/12/2017 by mapoll

gorgon-pcFor anyone seeking enjoyable and vetted Christian fiction, please see other reviews by Peter Younghusband:http://christianfictionreviewguru.blogspot.com.au/  Or visit the online bookstore at Radiqx Press http://radiqx.com/vetted-christian-bookstore/ 

The Guru's Review: 

I am so glad I did not have to wait for this novel to be released to read it. The only delay I had was due to otherbooks I was requested to review first. 

Gorgon follows the same formula as the previous two novels but has 6 new characters and a different supernatural entity—a gorgon/succubus—and new demons. 

It is very noticeable from these changes that this novel is more complex, action-packed and suspenseful. Everything has a greater depth than previous. I found myself having to concentrate much more compared to the previous two novels. I am not saying that this is a bad thing either, just a natural effect caused by this complexity. Of course, this also means that the entertainment value is also increased and at a deeper level. Now, that is a good thing!

Poll is very successful at depicting the richness of Alaska and that of Ravens Cove. She depicts the many layers of what makes up a small town tick with its characters and their small-town mentality. This shows their cohesiveness and ability to band together when they need to including taking on other roles. An example of this is Doc Billings being the GP and Medical Examiner. They even have a town gossip but instead of being one who is scorned and hated for the trouble she causes, she has the townsfolk's respect! I find this rather comical!

Poll has used this backdrop to focus on the demise of a previous resident, Mandy Thomas. She left the Cove many years ago for Anchorage and has returned due to her involvement in a murder. She seeks the help of her best friend, Kat, who we know from the previous two instalments.

It is what is involved in this murder that brings the demonic elements back to the Cove. By default, this involves the lives of Kat, Bart, Ken, Grandma Brines, Pastor Paul Lucas, Josiah, Wendy, Doc Billings and others. It also brings new characters into this situation such as Detective Dayton, investigating the murder Mandy is implicated in. Grandma Brines believes he will return to Ravens Cove in the future. I am interested to see if he surfaces in the next instalment, Dullahan, which has just been released. He seems to have had a similar, but shocking, initiation into the supernatural and Ravens Cove as Ken did in the previous two novels. 

The supernatural elements in this instalment are similar but different. Poll introduces the same demonic characters and some new ones. Thus, this demonic plot line becomes much more complex with the introduction of the entity, gorgon, manifested as Lilith. It is well established in both biblical and extra-biblical texts and depicted in fiction, that there is a hierarchy of demons. Poll shows that a gorgon does not fit into this hierarchy, but exists separate to this demonic one. Both hate each other and compete against each other for dominion over the other and the human race. 

I am a little familiar with Lilith. She is described as the first wife of Adam in the abovementioned texts, but not included as Canon in the Bible. She is described well in these texts and has one colorful history. Her inclusion in this story line intrigued me to do a Google search to see what these texts had to say about her. I can see why her story has provided a rich and intriguing plot line in this novel where Poll has exercised some poetic licence. It all adds much suspense and tenseness to this story. The characters seek to find out who this new supernatural entity is and if it is causing such horrific deaths. They also need to discover if it is causing the demonic forces to regroup and attack Ravens Cove again in the demon's attempts to rid themselves of the gorgon. 

The battle strategy between the demons of Iconoclast's forces against those of Gorgon adds a deeper layer of tenseness and depth to the overall battle for the dominion of Ravens Cove. Such betrayal, double crossing and swapping allegiances between these two evil forces test the faith and resolve of Kat, Bart, Grandma Brines, Pastor Paul, Ken and Josiah. 

As I have stated in previous reviews of Poll's novels, she has depicted spiritual warfare biblically. It is integrated throughout the poetic licence of her story lines. She has not allowed this poetic licence to alter this biblical depiction. It is this that makes this series worth reading and not just for its entertainment value. This latter function is not the only role Christian fiction has. One of its many attributes is to educate the reader and Poll allows it to do this by adhering to biblical principles. 

One of the spiritual themes in this novel is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is not depicted much in Christian fiction (that I have read or not for any specific reason that I can determine). The Bible regards this as the one and only sin unforgivable by God, 

Mark 3:28-30: "Truly I tell you, all sins and blasphemes will be forgiven for the sons of men. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

These are the following verses that also mention this sin: Matt 12:32; Luke 12:10. These say the same thing as the verse mentioned above.

The Amplified Bible defines to these verses being as "whoever intentionally comes short of the reverence due the Holy Spirit".

The website Got Questions refers it as,

"….defiant irreverence. The term can be applied to such sins as cursing God or wilfully degrading things relating to God. Blasphemy is also attributing some evil to God or denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him. This particular case of blasphemy, however, is called “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 12:31."

Poll's depiction of this is in line with the above. Kat witnesses the character involved calling the Holy Spirit obscenities and other horrible things. Like Pastor Paul, I felt the sadness and the stark reality of what this means to the character when he realised this sin had been committed. Admittedly, this character is demon possessed but the end result is the same. 

Taking these verses in context, Jesus was addressing the Pharisees accusing Him of being demon-possessed instead of being Spirit-filled, 

The Pharisees, having witnessed irrefutable proof that Jesus was working miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, claimed instead that the Lord was possessed by a demon (Matthew 12:24). Notice in Mark 3:30 Jesus is very specific about what the Pharisees did to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: “He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit."

This segment is the most dramatic and saddest in this series so far. It is even sadder when the final outcome for this character is revealed. 

Poll introduces a different aspect of spiritual warfare in each volume. This is another aspect that adds to the appreciation of this series. In Ingress, it was the sin of pride being an obstacle to God's involvement. In Gorgon, it is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This illustrates my point about Christian fiction being educational as well as entertaining.

It seems that Poll has set the stage for more instalments in this series with a new spiritual role appointed to one of the characters. I am looking forward to seeing this take shape in Dullahan. 

I can definitely see why some reviews consider this novel to be the best. I would tend to agree even though I have not read the newest release, Dullahan. That one may prove to be the best. Will have to wait and see!

Another thoroughly enjoyable visit to Raven's Cove. I am at least happy I have one more to read. I pray that there is more to come after Dullahan.

 

Highly Recommended. 5/5 Stars

 

 

Posted in Book Review, Christian Fiction, Creepy Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal Thrillers, Supernatural Thrillers | Leave a comment